Soul Searing
by juliet not juliette
Summary: The Cliffhangers go on a healing quest... FINISHED
1. Group

The sun shone high in the sky on this spring afternoon as a warm breeze blew across the field.  
  
"Okay guys, group is going to be a little bit different today," Peter called out as he approached the Cliffhangers sitting at the picnic tables by the dorms. "Today's topic is healing, and I thought it would be nice to have a guest speaker." The Cliffhangers all recognized Aaron Reifel, the aboriginal man who had given the ceremony returning the girl's bones to the Creator after Juliette found them in the cave.  
  
"Good Afternoon," Aaron called out to the group. Juliette, always being polite, and pleased to see Aaron again, replied, "Good Afternoon." The others then echoed the greeting. "I'd like to start with a prayer to the Creator or God or Allah or whatever higher power for the beautiful day.. So everyone stand up and join hands in a circle, left palms up, and right palms down in the other person's hand. We join hands like this to share the feelings with each other. Also, if you hold on to the circle you won't fall." Aaron then began praying in his language. Most of the group had their heads bowed in respect, David, however, was fidgeting, struggling to pay attention.  
  
After the prayer, everyone sat on the ground, still in the circle, and Aaron addressed them again. "There are four types of healing: emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual. They are all important; we all have gifts each day we can use to heal. They are the mind, body and spirit; to see clearly, to listen with respect, and to smell good aromas. The mouth has dual functions: to intake food and water we need for energy and to speak and use our voice. That's why I like to start each circle with a greeting to get you to use your voice, your gifts. Finally, there's your heart, your feelings. "Only you can decide if I, or someone else, have offended you. If I have then I should come to you and ask you to forgive me, but we don't do that, we leave it all on the other person. that's dumping, and it's very hurtful. "The elders say you need to look inside yourself to what you grew up with because it stays with you. anytime you were called a name or abused that stays with you.  
  
The group was paying rapt attention to Aaron, and their attention was broken for a moment when he seemed to switch topics, "In my closet I've got a lot of shoes, running shoes, dress shoes, boots, in labelled shoe boxes.  
  
"The labels are all the abuses of the past. We've each got to open the door and turn on the light to see what is with each of us.. Most of us never do this, however. We just leave all the confusion and frustration up front where anything can tick us off at any moment. "You need to learn from the past to live today for tomorrow."  
  
The group thanked him for speaking and Peter shook Aaron's hand also thanking him for speaking. Peter then said to the group, "Okay that's it for group today guys, just try to think about what you heard today." As the group was in various stages of leaving the field, Peter called out, "Remember, we head out on quest tomorrow at first light." Everyone groaned and dispersed. 


	2. Quest

II  
  
The next morning, as the sun was beginning to rise over the mountains, the Cliffhangers gathered at the picnic tables once again.  
  
Shelby, Scott, and Daisy were already waiting for their day of hiking to begin; their breath visible in the air. Shelby leaned against Scott trying to keep from shivering. Auggie was approaching the tables with Juliette; Ezra and David straggling behind them. Sophie and Peter were also approaching the tables, from the direction of the administration building.  
  
As Juliette approached the group, she was already complaining about the cold and having to go on quest so early in the morning. "Aw, Queenie, is this too early for you?" asked Shelby. "Maybe we should let you sleep and wake you up when we get there." "Step off, Shelby," said Auggie, siding with Jules. Daisy mentioned that Peter and Sophie were approaching.  
  
Peter, meanwhile, hadn't missed the interaction between the two girls. When he reached the group, he asked, "Shelby, Juliette, is there a problem?" "No," replied Shelby, and Juliette said nothing. "Good," Peter did notice, however, that Juliette and Shelby didn't meet each other's eyes. He addressed the group as David and Ezra reached them, explaining the day's activities. They would hike to the first campsite by midafternoon and set up camp, then have dinner and group.  
  
As they left Horizon, Shelby and Scott walked in front, their hands entwined. Juliette walked with Auggie, at the back of the group, keeping Daisy, Ezra and David, in between her and Shelby. Peter and Sophie brought up the rear of their procession. Periodically, they stopped to rest as they made their way through the forest.  
  
When the camp was set up, the group gathered around the fire pit, the fire ready to be lit. The afternoon was warm, with the sun filtering through the branches into the clearing. Sophie addressed the group, "As most of you have probably realized by now, this quest is about healing. There are many different types of healing. At Horizon, we heal by asking you to talk about what you're feeling, and what's bothering you so you can bleed off the poison of its memory, burn it away so it's not taking you away from living." "Aaron spoke to you yesterday about aboriginal healing, to restore your mind, body and spirit," Peter added. Peter continued, "For the rest of the afternoon, take some time to look inside your closet. Figure out what your shoeboxes are, and how you can empty those shoeboxes. You don't have to solve your problems today, we aren't expecting you to. Just think about what you can do to clean out that closet, so you can heal." Sophie interjected, "You might want to start by taking some time to experience your surroundings, and watch the animals. This will slow you down so that you will be able to spend some time thinking without worrying about coming to a conclusion today. You don't need to make any definite plans today, but if you do that's great. Spend some time with a scene or environment you enjoy, and come up with some ideas."  
  
The teenagers all moved off in their own directions, to find their space, leaving Sophie and Peter alone at the campsite. 


	3. Reflection

III  
  
Daisy ended up sitting by the river watching the water flow. Always insightful, she realized that with the flow the water was always changing and moving forward, much like she was. Aaron's words from the previous day kept resurfacing in Daisy's mind. She knew that her father had been dumping on her for many years; the last straw had been when she fought back with the seven-iron. In that respect she had already started healing, by refusing to accept his abuse. Of course she had gone about it the wrong way, but she could still rectify that. He was the family she had left, and it was time to do her part to restore their relationship. She spent much of the afternoon writing in her journal.  
  
Scott sat a few feet away from Shelby, who was sitting under a tree. He spent much of his time watching the sun glint off Shelby's hair. He had tried to come up with ways to heal his relationship with his father. There was no way he was going to have a relationship with the skank. But his father was different; Scott wanted to have his relationship with his father back, but he wasn't about to forgive him if Martin continued to believe that it was all Scott's fault. Scott also wanted to play football in college, but during the afternoon Scott decided that football was secondary to Shelby. If he got into college he could prove to the coach that he was better now, and could still play. But none of that mattered if he didn't have Shelby.  
  
Shelby reclined against the tree, her eyes closed. She didn't need the scenery to relax; all she needed to think of was Scott - and the love she had found with him. She hadn't thought that she would trust again after Walt, especially another man. But then had come Horizon and Scott, and that had all changed. Her spirit had healed; she had a safe place and no more secrets, not from him. The only thing Shelby needed to heal was the relationship with her mother. but even that had been better since Walt was handed over to the police.  
  
Juliette had gone in the opposite direction as Scott and Shelby; she was on the other side of the campsite. After a few moments of aimless wandering, she had come upon a clearing surrounded by trees, so that it seemed as if she was alone and there was no one else nearby. Above the trees all that could be seen was the mountains soaring into the sky. Juliette gathered strength from this image; she knew that she would no longer fall prey to her mother's demands, that she could free herself and live her life. That was not to say that she was totally healed, or that it wouldn't be hard to do, but that she was willing to gain control of her life once and for all. Juliette then spent most of the afternoon sitting in the clearing imagining a life without the pressure from her mother to be thin and perfect.  
  
Auggie also sat down by the river, working in his journal. Unlike Daisy, however, he was drawing. As he inked the familiar tag on to the page, he recalled his brother and his family. And how far he had come since he had come to Horizon; how encouraging the Cliffhangers and staff had all been. He flipped to the next clean page, and began to sketch the scene in front of him: the river through the valley, with the mountains standing guard on each side. With each stroke of his pen he felt a calmness that only happened at Horizon, wash over him.  
  
Ezra was sitting farthest away from the campsite, on a rock ledge high above the rapids of the river. He spent the afternoon listening to the powerful rush of the river from below, feeling the warmth of the sun from above, and enjoying the simple majesty of the mountains. He also spent his time thinking about his relationship with his adoptive parents. They weren't the greatest parents by any stretch of the imagination, but neither were they the worst, they had never physically abused him; but they were the only parents he had. By the end of the afternoon he knew that their dumping on him was not his fault, and that he would be able to forgive them in the future. This was enough; the scars they had left him were being seared away.  
  
David had wandered in the direction away from all the other Cliffhangers, into the forest. He found had come to a stop on a log, and watched some squirrels chase each other, their activity echoing the energy he possessed, that distracted him constantly. Eventually, the squirrels ran away from him, and he was left on his own. To combat the boredom he felt and the contrary energy he had, he climbed one of the trees nearby and spent the afternoon there, above the world, recalling his relationship with his father, and the negativity that the General had dumped upon him. 


	4. Night End

IV  
  
As the sun began to set, the Cliffhangers started making their way back to the campsite. Sophie and Peter had the fire alight already.  
  
The group ate hot dogs for dinner with smores for dessert. Over the meal they all recalled various times they had gone camping with their families or previous quests, spending much time laughing at their antics.  
  
Afterwards Peter held group. they went around the circle and discussed how they were feeling about this afternoon's exercise. Juliette was the first to respond, saying that she felt "strong." Auggie followed her and said he felt "calm and happy." Then, in order, Ezra, Daisy, Shelby, Scott and finally David said, "good and forgiving . determined . thankful .hopeful .and, ready."  
  
The sat around the fire for awhile longer until Peter called lights out. Each Cliffhanger went to their tent, and slept as they world became inked in blackness.  
  
The next morning the quest to heal the souls of Horizon continued .  
  
THE END  
I gratefully acknowledge Sara for helping me flesh out this idea. I also am grateful to Banana Belle and Carebear for being so encouraging. Thank you for taking the time to review. -- Juliet 


End file.
